The UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, has been voted this year’s best city in the world by Travel + Leisure’s readers.
Travel + Leisure asks readers every year to weigh in on their top travel experiences around the globe, including their favorite hotels, resorts, cities, spas, airlines and more. More than 186,000 readers completed the survey this year, casting over 700,000 votes for over 8,700 places and experiences.
Cities were specifically rated on criteria that included sights and landmarks, culture, food, friendliness, shopping and overall value. Respondents could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average or poor for each category.
San Miguel got stellar results, with one reader describing it as “unbeatable in every category.” Another voter noted that “the food was totally amazing, the city was clean [and] the people were very friendly and helpful.”
Up from the No. 5 spot last year, San Miguel de Allende has consistently ranked as one of the top cities to visit in international travel and tourism industry rankings. Previously, it was named world’s best small city by Condé Nast, a trending destination for 2024 by American Express and best destination in Mexico by TripAdvisor. Last year, Condé Nast also included San Miguel de Allende in its list of the 32 best places to spend Christmas.
“Known for its stunning architecture — most notably, the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel — food, and art scene, the city is a cultural hub that marries old and new,” Travel + Leisure wrote.
Upon receiving the recognition, the Guanajuato Tourism Ministry released a statement congratulating all residents of San Miguel and its tourism sector.
Por su encanto atemporal, su acogedora comunidad, su hermosa arquitectura colonial, y por ofertar una gastronomía increíble, SMA fue elegida por los lectores de @TravelLeisure como “La Mejor Ciudad para Visitar 🛩️.
Sigue leyendo ✨ https://t.co/g7mYYWdZT8 pic.twitter.com/qv6belj1bV
— SECTUR Guanajuato (@SECTURGTO) July 10, 2024
After San Miguel de Allende, the top five best cities in the world for 2024 are Udaipur, India (No. 2), Kyoto, Japan (No. 3), Hoi An, Vietnam (No. 4) and Chiang Mai, Thailand (No. 5).
Readers also chose San Miguel de Allende as the best city in Mexico, followed by Oaxaca, last year’s winner for best city in the world. Mexico City came in at No. 3, followed by Mérida at No. 4 and Guadalajara at No. 5.
One reader described Oaxaca as an “incredible place with incredible people,” while another called the city “beautiful and historic.” Mérida, Yucatán’s capital, was praised as an LGBTQ+ friendly destination, also famous for its cenotes and Maya culture. Mexico City was recognized for its mix of history, nightlife, dining and arts, while Guadalajara was hailed for its culture, atmosphere and “exceptional cuisine.”
According to Travel + Leisure, Mexico is hard to beat for readers when it comes to popular vacation spots. “The country is famous for its warm hospitality, rich and varied culture, and crave-worthy cuisine — backed by a complex history and beautiful natural landscapes, from ancient ruins to pristine beaches.”
Mexico News Daily
HAHA due me a favor Gringos and others please go and stay there and start flying into another airport besides QRO. Been here in the QRO area for over a decade and all you all are doing there is making the Mexican tradition and people dislike the Gringo even more. Keeping going that way and please stay out of my Queretaro, San Juan del Rio, Tequis and the entire Sierra Gorda. We like things small and original with our Mexican families and friends. As they have been posting: Gringos go home!!!
QRO not a very good airport. Too many connecting flights.
Great! Too many tourists in SMA already. An airport would destroy it with pollution and tens of thousands more foreign tourists.
With all due respect, you come off like a disgruntled frustrated xenophobe….Chill, dude….and Saludos desde Acapulco!
I definitely dislike SMA as well. Don’t think I will ever be back. I used to think I wanted to retire at a place like that. A couple of more visits to SMA made decide against that! It certainly feels like a watered down sanitized version of Mexico.
San Miguel is a beautiful city but it should be rated lower because no airport. If you fly out of Querétaro everything to LA or Vegas connects through Mexico City or a US hub.
No need to fly….Just catch the 7 PM Sleeper Train from Nuevo Laredo….arrives San Miguel at 12 Noon sharp. One of the world’s great rail journeys…..We took it in 1986…..Cheers from Acapulco!
Train sounds fun. Thanks for the tip.
I’m not disgruntled but rather know what my needs are at my Mexico house. Part of that is a lot of non stop flights to LA and Vegas. 🎸
I have good memories of Acapulco from Guadalajara before the hurricane.
IMHO you can keep SMA…
Sadly, for many years now, passenger trains no longer run.